Buffing mechanism.



R. D. GALLAGHER, JE.

BUPFING .MEGHAIIISISIIl APPLICATION HLBD DBO. 22, 1909.

Patented Nov.'1, 1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

R. D. GALLAGHER, JR..

BUFFING MEGHANISM. APPLIOATION FILED DEO. 22, 1909.

Patented Nov. 1,1910.

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R. D. GALLAGHER, Jn.

BUPFING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED DEO. 22, 1909.

Patented Nov. 1,1910.

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THENaRRls PETER: co., WASHINGTON. n, c.

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RCHARD D. GALLAGHER, JR., 0F NEW YORK, N. Y., AssIGNoR To STANDARD coUPLER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N.

Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

BUFFING MECHANISM.

To all whom it 'may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD D. GALLA- GHER, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bufling Mechanism; and I do hereby declare the following' to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the figures and letters of reference marked thereon.

This invention relates particularly to the construction of passenger cars and to the buifing mechanism of the same, and this application is a division of my prior application, Serial No. 497,489, iiled May 2l, 1909.

The objects of the invention are to improve the construction and arrangement of the movable and resilient elements of the bufling mechanism, as well as the fixed pressure resisting elements for transmitting the strains to the body of the car.

The invention consists in certain novel details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, all as will now be described and pointed out particularly in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings-Figure l is a plan view of a portion of a car frame and buifing mechanism at one end of a car lying on one side of the longitudinal center, the flooring and supenstruo ture being removed. Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional views in a central vertical plane, said views *illustrating continuations of the same parts, and Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line 5-5, Fig. l, with parts broken away.

The car frame illustrated in the accompanying drawings embodies main longitudinal sills A of channel-iron section and preferably extending from end to end of the car. In addition to the longitudinal sills A, supplemental longitudinal sills B are provided which, on the inner side of or between the end sills C of the body, are adapted to lie flat against the longitudinal sills A, as described in my said prior application. The supplemental sills B are bent down to pass beneath the end sills C of the car, as best seen in Fig'. 3 and they extend to the end of the car to form the draft timbers. By thus bending or off-setting the supplemental sills B they are, at a point within or be- Specication of Letters Patent. Original application filed May 21 1909, Serial No. 497,489.

Patented Nov. 1, 1910. Divided and this application led December 22,

Serial No. 534,477.

tween the end sills of the car elevated to a sulicientheight to afford the necessary space for electric motors, etc., without weakening the frame construction and without tendency to throw the parts out of alinement under severe butling or draft strain.

To reinforce the supplemental sills B, they may be provided with reinforcing angle iron edge pieces B at the lower edge and where they depart from the plane of the longitudinal sills A they may be conveniently riveted to suitable bottom strengthening plates B2 (Fig. 3).

The end sill C is built up across the ends of the sills A and is preferably formed of angle irons c riveted together and suitably connected to the ends of the sills A. Said end sill C is further braced and strengthened by an inverted truss-iron D secured thereto at its ends and passing down beneath the sill B and beneath the spacers or queen posts D through which bolts Z pass upwardly to connect the truss .and center sill at each side of the center.

rI'he buffer beam which is also built up of angle irons and plates, is rigidly mounted on the ends of the supplemental sills and longitudinal platform sills. thus, as shown, particularly in Fig. 4 it will be seen that a curved channel iron F forms the front of the body of the buffer beam, and angle irons F connected by a plate F2 form the rear wall of the buffer beam. The plate F 2, it is obvious, need not be continuous from end to end of the buffer beam, but may be interrupted between the central longitudinal platform beams, but it is connected to said platform sills and to the supplemental sills B by brackets f. Between the angle iron F and channel F suitable bracing plates F3 may be introduced, as shown in Figs. l and 4.

To the front of the channel iron F at the center of the buffer beam there is secured the buffer beam extension G preferably made of malleable iron. Conveniently, the eXtreme ends of the supplemental sills B extend under and support the buffer beam extension. The general contour of the forward face of the buffer beam extension is curved and atthe ends of said extension, the buffer beam is strengthened and rounded by a filling piece G which may be of wood with a metal face g, the general curvature ot said tace conforming lto the general curl vature of the butter beam extension for a. purpose which :will presently appear.

The butter beam extension and bntler beam are provided with bearings M and M for the center and side stems m and m of the buffer. Said stems are pivotally connetted with the butter at .their forward ende and at their inner ends cooperate with the butter springs and parts to be now de: scribed. 'llhe center stem m, at its inner end asses through a bracket O held by a bridge piece O between the longitudinal plattorm sills and is prevented from outward movement by a key m2. This limits the outward movement of the butter at the center b nt without interfering with the capacity of said butter to move angularly from; the position indicated full lines in Fig. 1 to the' posit-ion indicated in dotted lines m said iignre. The side stems m at their inner ends are supported in brackets O2 and carry spring followers P and P,the latter being mounted on the bracket Q2 and termine bearings for the inner end of the stem, gletween' the followers P and P two Springs efe .centree-tl, One lettered 22 being e relatively light spring with a long range of elasticity the' other 72 being e relatively heavy spring. Said springs may be convenentlyserereted byeereeer 222- endn, Operation .it iS intended that initial inward vmovements .of the butler s hall be resisted practically exclusively by the lighter springs p, the range ot movement being such that the bnffer may be moved inwardly until coupling is eti'ected without undue resistance bnt 'from the coupling position to the vfinal seating of he parts the resistance shall be greatly augmented owing to the fact that the movement of .he outer springs is then entirely absorbed and the heavier springs are .brought .inte eeterl- Te prevent elefenratee er setting et the lighter Sp1-inse the fellewer .P and 'Smeer 2) ere adapted te cpntact when the initial movement resisted by said springs is ending and from thencef'orth inward 'movement is resisted entirely by the heavier springs. vDuring the initial inward movement of the buffer the center stem m (Fig. 2) is not designed to exert any outward pressure, owing to the fact that its shoulder g is normally spaced away from the cooperating shoulder g of its forward follower Q, ancconseqnently the center stem sprin located between the follower Q, and t` e bracket O is not put under increas ing tension until the shoulders and g engage and move the follower inwardly. Forward movement of the follower Q is limited by the butler beam, whereby the side springs p will, in eiiect, Give the iinal out-f ward'movement to the butder and will alone resist initial inward movement of the same.

The arrangement ot' the springs described permits ot a very wide range of angular movement when rounding short curves and, in order to take care of the coperating buffers under extreme conditions, the parts are so proportioned and the outer face of the buier beam is so shaped at the ends that the coeeefatee heifer Will, when eeeurrins n0- sition at one side of the center, bear against the rounding face of the buer beam.

This extreme condition is illustrated in Fig.

ot the butter as,'t`or instance,`

l where the ccperating buffer or louder on the adjacent ,car s indicated by the Adotted lines S and it will be noted that in the eX- treme position indicated, one car being on a tangent and the other .on a short curve, the buii'ers are parallel with each other, but are displaced transversely and each will partly rest against its cooperating bnii'er and partly against the coperating filling piece of the bntl'er beam. The arrangement insures a good platform or bridge between cars at all times and further insures a proper bufling action, even under eXtreme conditions.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

l. ln a hurling mechanism, the combina tion with the butter beam having bearings therein for the center and side stems, of the butler, a center stem pivotally connected with said buder, a bracket for limiting the outward movement of said center stem, a follower on said center stem, coperating shoulders on the follower and stem normally out oi' engagement when the buiier is advanced, a spring interposed between said follower' and bracket, side stems pivotally connected with the buffer, land side stem springs coperating with said side stems and normally under tension tending to advance the buer, the arrangement beine ,eeeh thet init-ial V inward movement of the buer is re- Sieted solely by the eide Stem Springe, .eetl iinal inward movement of the butter is re.- sisted by both the side and center stem springs.

2. 1n a butling mechanism, the combination with the end sill, a bilder beam having a rounded outer face and supporting sills for said end sill and buffer beam, of a butter, a center stem pivotally connected with said buffer and having a stop for limiting the outward movement of the butter, side stems pivotally connected with the butter, and springs for advancing said side stems and butler, the construction being such that the angular movement of the bner on the end of the center stem will permit the coperattension having a rounded outer face and rounded filling pieces on the outer face of said buffer beam at each side of said buffer beam extension, of a bulfer, a center stem on which said buffer is pivotally mounted, side stems pivotally connected with the buffer, springs coperating with said side stems for advancing the bu er, and means coperating with the center stem for limiting the outward movement of the buffer, the arrangement beinO such that angular movement of the bu er on the center stem will permit the coperating buffer to rest against and be supported by the lilling pieces at the sides of the buffer beam extension.

4. In a builing mechanism, the combination with the buifer beam having bearings therein for center and side stems, longitudinal sills connected with said buffer beam and having brackets thereon provided with bearings for said center and side stems, of a buffer, a center stem pivotally connected at its forward end with the buffer and having an enlargement on its rear end coperating with the bracket for limiting the outward movement of the buffer, a follower through which the center stem passes, a spring interposed between said follower and bracket for holding the follower advanced, means for limiting the forward movement of the follower, and cooperating shoulders on the follower and center stem spaced apart when the butler is advanced to the limit of its movement and adapted to engage, to put the center stem spring under compression, only when the buffer has been moved inwardly, and side stems for normally holding said buffer advanced to the limit of its move ment, substantially as described.

5. In a butling mechanism, the combina tion with the buffer beam, longitudinal sills, brackets supported by said longitudinal sills and a center stem passing through the buifer beam and bracket and having an intermediate shoulder, of a buffer pivotally mounted on said center stem, an enlargement on the rear end of said center stem for limiting its outward movement, a follower on said center stem, means for limiting the forward movement of said follower, a spring interposed between said follower and bracket for resisting final inward movement of the center stem and buffer, said follower having a shoulder for cooperation with the shoulder on the center stem, the proportions of the parts being such that said shoulders are no1'- mally spaced apart whereby the buer is free from the resistance of the center stein spring during initial inward movement.

RICHARD D. GALLAGHER, J R. l/Vitnesses:

ALEXANDER S. STEWART, THOMAS DURANT. 

